TM

CANDIDATE HANDBOOK
LEED AP® Building Design + Construction
Updated July 2018
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

REGISTERING FOR YOUR EXAM..................................................................... 3

Registration
Eligibility Requirements
Audits
Testing Accommodations
Exam Fees
GI Bill Benefits

THE EXAM.............................................................................................................. 5
Exam Development
Exam Format
Exam Language
Exam Maintenance

PRE-EXAM CHECKLIST ......................................................................................7

Are You Ready?
Exam Security
What to Expect at the Test Center
Identification Requirements
Test Center Regulations
Grounds for Dismissal from the Test Center

AFTER YOUR EXAM ........................................................................................... 9

Exam Results
Passing the Exam
Designating Your Credential
Certificates
Credential Maintenance Program
Earning the LEED AP® with specialty after the LEED® Green Associate™
Exam Content Appeals
Candidate Confidentiality

EXAM SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................... 11

Specifications
References
Sample Questions

CONTACT INFORMATION................................................................................. 18

2
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

REGISTERING FOR YOUR EXAM

Registration
1. Log in to your Credentials account using your existing USGBC® site user account or creating a
new account if you do not have one.

2. Verify that the name you enter in matches the name on the ID you will present at the test
center. If it does not match, please update your name in your site user account “settings.” This
may be of special concern to candidates who use more than one name (e.g., individuals who
use a nickname or those who use different names in different regions). Please update your
name with GBCI® at least 5 days prior to your exam. Contact GBCI if you experience issues
updating your name.*

3. Select the LEED AP® BD+C exam under the credentials section and follow the instructions on
the screen to complete the application.

4. You will be redirected to prometric.com/gbci to schedule your exam date and location.

5. When the exam appointment is scheduled, you will receive a confirmation number onscreen
and from Prometric through an email.

6. Record your confirmation number. You will need this confirmation number to confirm, cancel or
reschedule your appointment through the Prometric website, prometric.com/gbci.

7. Once you have scheduled an exam, please print your confirmation notice from Prometric.
Keep your confirmation notice for any communication with Prometric about your exam.

Once you register and pay for your exam, you have one year to schedule your exam session. Upon
taking your exam, if your attempt was unsuccessful you may register again in the same way as initial
registration. After three unsuccessful attempts, however, you must wait 90 days before submitting a
new registration to GBCI. Candidates must pay the registration fee for each exam attempt.

Learn about GBCI’s exam refund/rescheduling policy.

To schedule five or more candidates at one time, contact customer service.

*If your native language utilizes non-Roman characters, be sure to enter your name in Roman
characters when you register for the exam. Make sure to bring identification, such as a passport that
includes your name in Roman characters, to the test center.

Eligibility Requirements
For the LEED AP with specialty exam, prior LEED project experience is strongly recommended.
Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and must hold a current LEED® Green Associate™
credential.

Practitioner experience is critical to earning the LEED AP BD+C credential and, as such, project
proficiency will be tested objectively within the exam.

All candidates must also agree to the Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy and credentialing
maintenance requirements, and, if audited, must be willing to provide requested information.

3
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

Audits
GBCI reserves the right to conduct an audit at any time (including prior to application submission
and after credential has been granted) of all current and past exam applications. Any information
contained in your Credentials account may be audited and a request for further documentation
of any information or claims submitted by the LEED professional may be made at any time. GBCI
further reserves the right to take disciplinary or legal action—including but not limited to revocation
of credential(s)—in the event that any conduct discovered during such an audit violates the LEED
professional Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy, GBCI policy and/or law.

Testing Accommodations
If you have a documented disability that would prevent you from taking a LEED professional
exam under normal testing conditions, you may request accommodations. GBCI complies with the
provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, entities that administer
standardized examinations must offer the examinations in a place and manner that is accessible to
candidates with disabilities. This may require reasonable modifications to the manner in which the
exam is administered. Prometric, GBCI’s exam delivery company, will provide candidates reasonable
auxiliary aids and services, except where it may fundamentally alter the validity of the exam results.
Available accommodations include, but are not limited to, a reader, a scribe and extended testing
time.

If you require testing accommodations, you must indicate this during your registration process by
checking the box that says “Yes, I need testing accommodations.” To request accommodations, you
and your health care provider will each need to complete one form, the Candidate Form and the
Provider Form, to document the disability and the need for accommodation. There is no additional
charge for testing accommodations. Each request will be evaluated individually.

GBCI will review this documentation and, if approved, will alert Prometric of the necessary
accommodations. If proper documentation is submitted, please allow up to two weeks to receive a
reply from GBCI. Once you have requested testing accommodations, you will not be able to schedule
an appointment with Prometric until your request is approved. You will be contacted by email
regarding the approval status of your testing accommodations request.

Exam Fees
See the exam page on the USGBC website for pricing. Your paid exam fee is good for only one exam
attempt.

For USGBC members to receive member pricing for your exam, please link your member status to
your USGBC account prior to registration.

GI Bill Benefits
The LEED professional exams have been approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for
reimbursement. The VA, in accordance with the GI Bill, has agreed to reimburse veterans, active
service members, eligible dependents, spouses and reservists for the cost, up to $2,000, of any of the
LEED professional exams administered by GBCI since December 3, 2009. Learn more.

4
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

THE EXAM

Exam Development
A LEED AP with specialty credential holder is an individual who possesses the knowledge and skills
necessary to support the LEED certification process. The development of a valid exam begins with
a clear and concise definition of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed in order to successfully
perform the job of a LEED AP with specialty. All LEED exams are developed by a global network of
Subject Matter Experts and meet the specifications of a job analysis. The exam specifications are
subject to rigorous validation by these experts, which ensures that the exam is valid, measuring what
it is intended to measure. Once the exams are launched the exam questions are regularly monitored
to ensure continued reliability.

The exams assess candidates’ abilities at three cognitive levels: Recall, Application and Analysis.

• Recall Questions: These questions assess a candidate’s ability to recall factual material that is
presented in a similar context to the exam references.

• Application Questions: These questions provide the candidate with a novel problem or
scenario that the candidate can solve using familiar principles or procedures described in the
exam references.

• Analysis Questions: These questions assess a candidate’s ability to break the problem down
into its components to create a solution. The candidate must not only recognize the different
elements of the problem, but must also evaluate the relationship or interactions of these
elements.

Exam Format
The LEED AP with specialty exam contains 100 randomly delivered multiple choice questions and
must be completed in 2 hours.

Candidates who have a current LEED Green Associate credential can register for the specialty-only
portion of the exam and do not need to sit for the entire combined exam. Please be aware that
the option to take the combined exam in one sitting is not available in all languages and at all test
centers. If you cannot find the option to register for a combined LEED AP exam, please register for
the two core parts separately.

The exam has both scored and unscored questions. All questions are delivered randomly throughout
the exam and candidates are not informed of a question’s status, so candidates should respond to
all the questions on the exam. Unscored questions are used to gather performance data to inform
whether the question should be scored on future exams.

The exam is computer-based. Exam questions and answer options are displayed on screen. The
computer records your responses and times your exam. You are able to change your answers, skip
questions and flag questions for later review.

During the exam, candidates may submit comments on any question(s) they believe to contain
technical errors in content by using the comment button located in the navigation bar. In order to
challenge an exam question, the candidate must have commented on the question and provided

5
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

an explanation of their concerns. After the exam, inform GBCI that you have left comments on your
exam; in your correspondence, be sure to note the email address used to sign up for the exam, as well
as the date on which you took it. You must notify GBCI within 10 days of your exam date that you
have left comments within your exam.

Be prepared to commit 2 hours 20 minutes for a specialty-only exam and 4 hours 20 minutes for a
combined exam. Total exam time is broken out as follows:

• For a specialty-only exam, an optional 10 minute tutorial, the 2 hour exam and an optional 10
minute exit survey.

• For a combined exam, an optional 10 minute tutorial, the 2 hour LEED Green Associate exam,
the 2 hour specialty exam and an optional 10 minute exit survey. Be aware that if a candidate
exits the exam session before completing the exam, the exam cannot be restarted and the
exam session and fee are forfeited.

Exam Language
The primary language for the exam is English. In the case of any discrepancies between the original
English content and the translated content or challenges made to the exams, the English content
will be used as the basis of consideration. Translation is offered solely as an aid to non-native English
speakers and is provided in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean
and Spanish for the LEED Green Associate, and in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French and
Spanish for the LEED AP BD+C exam. The use of translators or foreign-language dictionaries during
the examination will not be permitted. Additional time to complete the exam will not be provided.
The translated exam will be presented with the English text on top and the translated text below.

Please note the exam tutorial, non-disclosure agreement, and end of exam survey are in English.

Exam Maintenance
Each year, LEED professional exams are updated on July 1. Exams go through a maintenance process
where the questions are evaluated based on performance; poorly performing questions are removed
and replaced with new questions. Additionally, questions are reviewed against LEED addenda
published through January of the same year to ensure that all questions remain current and valid.
Please check the References section of the handbook for the most current list of exam references.

Exams are not offered from June 23 - June 30 of each year in order to accommodate deployment of
updated exams at test centers globally.

6
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

PRE-EXAM CHECKLIST

Are You Ready?

One Month Before Your Exam
Ensure that your given name (first name) and surname (last name) in your usgbc.org account
matches the given name and surname on the identification you will present at the test center. (See
next page.) If the names do not match, you will not be allowed to test and you will forfeit the exam
fee.

One Week Before Your Exam

Confirm that the date, time and location of your exam is correct. If it is not, please visit usgbc.org for
information about rescheduling or canceling your exam.

Exam Security
To ensure the integrity of the LEED professional exams, you will be required to review and accept a
nondisclosure agreement that prohibits any disclosure of exam content:

• Exam questions and answers are the exclusive property of GBCI.

• The exam, questions and answers are protected by copyright law. The exam may not be copied
or reproduced in part or in whole, by any means whatsoever, including memorization.

• Future discussion or disclosure of the content of the exam, orally or in writing, or by any other
means, is prohibited.

• Theft or attempted theft of exam questions is punishable to the fullest extent of the law.

• Failure to comply with the agreement will prevent you from testing.

What to Expect at the Test Center

It is recommended that you arrive at the test center at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled exam
appointment. Candidates who arrive at the test site after their scheduled exam time will lose their
seat.

You will be escorted to a workstation by test center staff. You must remain in your seat during the
exam except when authorized to leave by test center staff. Raise your hand to notify test center staff
if:

• You experience problems with your computer

• An error message appears on the computer screen (do not clear the message)

• You need to take a break (testing time will NOT be suspended)

• You need the test center staff for any other reason

7
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

Identification Requirements
Candidates must provide a valid, unexpired ID with a signature, a photograph that looks like the
candidate and an expiration date. Acceptable examples include:
• Current government-issued photo ID with signature

• Current credit card photo ID with signature

• Current photo ID without signature plus 1 credit card with signature—first and last names must
match on both

Examples of acceptable forms of unexpired photo ID include, but are not limited to:

• Driver’s license

• Passport

• Military ID

• Green card, permanent residence card, or H-1B visa*

*If the ID has a picture but no signature, it must be provided with a form of signature ID (e.g., a credit
card) in the same name.

See Prometric’s website for more information.

Unacceptable forms of ID include, but are not limited to, an expired ID, an ID without an expiration
date and a Social Security Card.

Test Center Regulations

You must abide by Prometric’s security rules while at the test center. See Prometric’s FAQs for more
information.

Grounds for Dismissal from the Test Center

Any candidate who engages in misconduct or does not comply with the test proctor’s warning to
discontinue inappropriate behavior may be dismissed from the test site, have exam results invalidated
or be subject to other sanctions. Fraud, deceit, dishonesty or other irregular behavior in connection
with taking the exam is strictly prohibited.

GBCI will make a ruling based on the consideration of both the candidate’s report and Prometric’s
report of the incident. To appeal GBCI’s ruling, send an email of your formal appeal to GBCI. At this
stage, the Credentialing Steering Committee will review and make a final ruling on the case.

8
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

AFTER YOUR EXAM

Exam Results
All LEED professional exams are scored between 125 and 200. A score of 170 or higher is required to
pass. Your exam score will be displayed on screen at the end of the exam and a score report will be
emailed to you following your exam session. For the LEED AP combined exams, you must earn a 170
or higher on both parts within the same application period to earn the credential.

Within 72 hours of your appointment, your exam results will be processed, your Credentials account
will be updated and, if applicable, your badge will be updated in the usgbc.org People directory.

Passing the Exam

Designating Your Credential
As soon as you have passed the specialty exam, you must use the title “LEED AP®” followed by your
specialty and/or the corresponding logo(s). For example: LEED AP® BD+C, LEED AP® O+M, LEED AP®
ID+C. The term “LEED Accredited Professional” is never to be used.

You should no longer use LEED Green Associate as the LEED AP with specialty credential supersedes
the LEED Green Associate credential.

Please review the LEED professional credentials section of the USGBC Trademark Policy and
Branding Guidelines for additional guidance.

Certificates
Once your exam results have been processed, you can download a copy of your certificate through
your usgbc.org account.

Credential Maintenance Program

For information on credential maintenance, see the CMP Guide.

Earning the LEED AP with specialty after the LEED Green Associate
Your LEED Green Associate credential expires and is replaced by the LEED AP with specialty.

Exam Content Appeals

Because of the need for exam security, GBCI will not release exam questions or answers to
candidates. GBCI does not respond to complaints or challenges received more than 10 days after
the exam date and does not respond to complaints sent to organizations other than GBCI. GBCI will
review the questions and you will be notified of the findings.

GBCI does not modify exam scores under any conditions. In the event of a successful exam content
appeal, you will be given the opportunity to retest; your score will not be changed. The only way to
earn a LEED professional credential is to earn a 170 on the required exam(s).

9
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

Candidate Confidentiality
GBCI recognizes your rights to control personal information. GBCI policy is designed to safeguard
this information from unauthorized disclosure. You can change your preference to be contacted by
updating your personal preferences in your usgbc.org account.

To protect your rights to control score distribution, exam scores are released only to you, the exam
taker, and authorized GBCI staff. GBCI does not release exam scores except for use in research studies
that preserve your anonymity. Candidates’ scores will always remain confidential unless released with
written consent of a candidate.

Official statistics regarding the LEED professional exams, including all question performance data,
individual data and demographic data, will be considered confidential; however, GBCI may publish
aggregate, non-identifying information based on such data.

10
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

EXAM SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications
The following outline provides a general description of exam content areas for the LEED AP
BD+C exam.

Knowledge Domains reflect the rating systems’ credit categories and what one needs to know.
These include concepts such as LEED Process, Integrative Strategies, LEED credit categories
and Project Surroundings and Public Outreach.

LEED AP BD+C Exam

The LEED AP BD+C specialty exam tests the knowledge and skills necessary to participate
in the design process, to support and encourage integrated design and to streamline the
application and certification process.

uu Knowledge Domains

1. LEED Process (8 Questions)

A. Different avenues to achieve LEED goals (e.g., developing credit interpretation
rulings/requests; Regional Priority Credits; innovative credit submittals; use of pilot
credits, etc.)

B. LEED system synergies (e.g., energy and IEQ; waste management)

C. Project boundary; LEED boundary; property boundary

D. Prerequisites and/or minimum program requirements for LEED certification

E. Knowing the evolutionary characteristics of LEED (e.g., development cycles of the

rating systems; continuous improvement)

2. Integrative Strategies (9 Questions)

A. Integrative process (e.g., energy and water discovery items)

B. Integrative project team, as applicable per project type and phase (e.g., architect;
engineer; landscape artist; civil engineer; contractor; facility manager, etc.)

C. Value of collaboration (e.g., meeting on integrative green strategies)

11
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

3. Location and Transportation (9 Questions)

A. Site selection

i. Development constraints and opportunities (e.g., prime farmland; floodplains;

species and habitat; water bodies; wetlands; historic districts; priority
designations; brownfields)

ii. Community connectivity terms/definitions (e.g., walkability; street design)

B. Access to quality transit: knowledge of access and quality concepts/calculations

(e.g., accessibility to multimodal transportation choices; quality transit; bicycle
network)

C. Alternative transportation: infrastructure and design (e.g., parking capacity; bicycle

storage and shower rooms; alternative-fuel fueling stations)

D. Green vehicles (e.g., fleet management; knowledge of regionalization of energy

sources for electric power generation)

4. Sustainable Sites (9 Questions)

A. Site assessment (e.g., topography; hydrology; climate; vegetation; soils; human use;
human health impacts)

B. Site assessment: site as a resource (e.g., energy flows)

C. Construction activity pollution prevention (e.g., soil erosion, waterway

sedimentation/contamination, airborne dust)

D. Site design and development

i. Habitat conservation and restoration (e.g., on-site restoration or preservation;

off-site habitat restoration; off-site habitat conservation; native or adaptive
vegetation; disturbed or compacted soils)

ii. Exterior open space (e.g., amount of space and quality of services; vegetated
outdoor space; biophilia)

iii. Exterior lighting (e.g., exterior light trespass and uplight; consequences to the
development of wildlife and people)

iv. Rainwater management (e.g., historical rainfall conditions; natural hydrology; low-
impact development)

v. Heat island reduction (e.g., heat island effect; green roofs; solar reflectance; roof
and non-roof strategies)

vi. Joint use (e.g., joint parking, etc.)

12
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

5. Water Efficiency (9 Questions)

A. Outdoor water use reduction: irrigation demand (e.g., landscape water requirement;
irrigation system efficiency; native and adaptive species)

B. Indoor water use reduction

i. Fixture and fittings (e.g., water use reduction through fixtures such as toilets;
urinals; faucets [kitchen, lavatory]; showerhead)

ii. Appliance and process water (e.g., equipment types [i.e., cooling towers, washing
machines])

C. Water performance management

i. Water use measurement (e.g., water meter(s); submeters; types of water sources
to measure; data management and analysis)

ii. Types and quality of water (e.g., potable; nonpotable; alternative water sources)

6. Energy and Atmosphere (14 Questions)

A. Building loads

i. Design (e.g., building orientation; glazing selection; clarify regional

considerations)

ii. Space usage (e.g., space types [private office, individual space, shared multi-
occupant spaces]; equipment and systems)

iii. Opportunities for passive design

B. Energy efficiency

i. Assemblies/components (e.g., building envelope; HVAC; windows; insulation)

ii. Operational energy efficiency (e.g., schedules; set points; interactions between
systems)

iii. Commissioning (e.g., commissioning authority (CxA); owner’s project

requirements (OPR); basis of design (BOD); monitoring-based commissioning;
envelope commissioning)

C. Demand response (e.g., grid efficiency and reliability; demand response programs;
load shifting)

D. Alternative and renewable energy (e.g., on-site and off-site renewable energy;
photovoltaic; solar thermal; wind; low-impact hydroelectricity; wave and tidal energy;
green power, carbon offsets)

E. Energy performance management

i. Advanced energy metering (e.g., energy use measurement; building automation

controls)

13
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

ii. Operations and management (e.g., training of staff; operations and maintenance
plan)

iii. Benchmarking (e.g., metrics used; proposed building performance rating/

baseline building performance rating; comparing building energy performance
against similar buildings or historical data; tools and standards [ASHRAE, CBECS,
Portfolio Manager])

F. Environmental concerns: resource and ozone depletion (e.g., sources and energy
resources [oil, coal and natural gas]; renewable and nonrenewable resources;
chlorofluorocarbons [CFCs] and other refrigerants; stratospheric ozone layer)

G. Energy model as a tool

H. Process loads (e.g., elevator; refrigeration, etc.)

I. Iterative optimization

7. Materials and Resources (12 Questions)

A. Reuse

i. Building reuse (e.g., historic building reuse; renovation of abandoned or blighted

building)

ii. Material reuse (e.g., structural elements [floors, roof decking]; enclosure materials
[skin, framing]; permanently installed interior elements [walls, doors, floor
coverings, ceiling systems])

B. Life cycle impacts

i. Life cycle assessment (e.g., quantify impacts; whole-building life cycle

assessment; environmental attributes used in Environmental Product Declaration
[EPD]; Product Category Rules [PCR]; design for flexibility)

ii. Material attributes (e.g., bio-based; wood products; recycled content; local;
Extended Producer Responsibility [EPR]; durability)

iii. Human and ecological health impacts (e.g., raw material source and extraction
practices; material ingredient reporting)

C. Waste

i. Construction and demolition waste management (e.g., waste reduction;

waste diversion goals; recycle and/or salvage nonhazardous construction and
demolition materials; waste management plan)

ii. Operations and ongoing (e.g., waste reduction; storage and collection of
recyclable materials [mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, metals];
safe storage areas for batteries and mercury-containing lamps)

D. Environmental concerns of materials (e.g., where materials came from; how they are
used/exposures; where they might go/impacts)

14
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

8. Indoor Environmental Quality (11 Questions)

A. Indoor environmental quality:

i. Ventilation levels (e.g., natural vs. mechanical; outdoor air; regional climate
conditions)

ii. Tobacco smoke control (e.g., prohibiting smoking; environmental tobacco smoke
transfer)

iii. Management of and improvements to indoor air quality (e.g., source control;
filtration and dilution; construction indoor air quality; air testing; ongoing
monitoring)

iv. Low-emitting materials (e.g., product categories [paints and coatings, adhesives
and sealants, flooring, etc.]; volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and
content; evaluating environmental claims)

B. Lighting: electric lighting quality (e.g., tradeoffs [color, efficiency]; surface reflectance;
types of fixtures)

C. Daylight (e.g., building massing and orientation; glare; human health impacts;
illuminance)

D. Acoustic performance (e.g., exterior and interior noise; background noise; dead vs. live
spaces)

E. Occupant comfort, health and satisfaction: controllability of systems (e.g., thermal;

lighting)

F. Thermal comfort design (e.g., strategies to promote occupants’ productivity and

comfort; values of occupant satisfaction)

G. Quality of views (e.g., connection to outdoor environment; direct line of sight to

outdoors)

9. Project Surroundings and Public Outreach (4 Questions)

A. Regional design (e.g., regional green design and construction measures as appropriate)

B. Cultural awareness; impacts and challenges; historic or heritage awareness

C. Educational outreach; public relations for the building

The exam contains 15 unscored questions.

15
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

References
The primary sources for the development of the LEED professional exams are the LEED rating
systems. The following list of references is not meant to be comprehensive. When combined
with the exam specifications, the candidate has the material from which the exam is based.

LEED AP BD+C Exam

This exam is designed to test the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the design
process, to support and encourage integrated design and to streamline the application and
certification process. You should also be familiar with the content of the U.S. Green Building
Council®’s website, usgbc.org, and GBCI’s website, gbci.org, including, but not limited to,
LEED Project Registration, LEED Certification content and the purpose of LEED Online.
USGBC’s website also has free access to all LEED rating systems, LEED Reference Guide
introductions and checklists beyond those listed below.

References
• U.S. Green Building Council. LEED Building Design and Construction Reference Guide. v4
e-Document (PDF) Edition. U.S. Green Building Council, 2017.
• “Green building incentive strategies.” U. S. Green Building Council, 2014.
• U.S. Green Building Council. Guide to LEED Certification: Commercial. U.S. Green Building
Council, 2014.
• U.S. Green Building Council. Foundations of LEED. U.S. Green Building Council, 2009.
• U.S. Green Building Council. LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction Checklist. U.S.
Green Building Council, 2016.
• “LEED Addenda (Corrections + Interpretations).” U. S. Green Building Council.
• ”LEED Online: Register a project.” U.S. Green Building Council, 2014.
• “LEED Certification Fees.” U.S. Green Building Council, 2014.
• “Rating System Selection Guidance.” U.S. Green Building Council, 2014.
• “Addenda Database.” U.S. Green Building Council.

16
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

Sample Questions
Disclaimer: The exam questions listed here were discarded in the process of creating
questions for new exams.

The questions are provided for your convenience to allow you to better familiarize yourself
with the format and general content of questions on exams.

The content of these questions, while representative of the type of questions you can expect,
does not necessarily mirror the content that will appear on the actual exams.

Furthermore, your ability to correctly answer these sample questions does not in any way
predict or guarantee your ability to successfully answer questions on the actual exams.

LEED AP BD+C Sample Questions

1. The city is building a new botanical garden and is attempting LEED certification. What
could the educational program include to earn an Innovation in Design Credit?

(A) Present the building’s sustainable features at the grand opening

(B) Present the building’s sustainable features at a town hall meeting
(C) Provide on-going weekly tours highlighting the building’s sustainable features
(D) Publish a press release to the local newspaper outlining the building’s sustainable features

This question represents Knowledge Domain 1B: LEED Process; LEED system synergies (e.g.,
energy and EQ; waste management).

2. How should athletic fields be treated in the calculations for WE Credit, Outdoor Water
Use Reduction?

(A) Must be calculated using 100% potable water

(B) May be included or excluded from the calculations
(C) May be calculated using a standard 20% reduction from baseline
(D) Must be calculated using at least 20% from an alternative water source

This question represents Knowledge Domain 5A: Water Efficiency; Outdoor water use
reduction: irrigation demand (e.g., landscape water requirement; irrigation system efficiency;
native and adaptive species).

17
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

CONTACT

Prometric
1501 South Clinton Street, Canton Crossing Tower, 14th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21224
prometric.com/gbci

Prometric’s website is available for scheduling, rescheduling, cancelling and confirming exam
appointments 24 hours per day. To schedule an exam, you will need to have first applied and
registered with GBCI. To reschedule, cancel or confirm an exam appointment, you will need your
Prometric-issued 16 digit confirmation number.

Prometric Call Centers

North America
Customer service: To schedule, reschedule, cancel and confirm appointments or for general 888 215 4154
testing information (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00 PM ET [GMT -5])
Candidate care: For any problems encountered during your experience with Prometric 800 853 6769
(Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 21:00 ET; Saturday, 9:00 to 17:00 PM ET [GMT -5])
Bulk Registration (five or more candidates) 800 774 1292
Special Conditions (Candidates with disabilities) 800 967 1139
Fax 800 853 6781
Latin America
To schedule, reschedule, cancel and confirm appointments or for general testing +1 443 751 4995
information
Asia/Pacific
China (Monday - Friday, 8:30 to 19:00 GMT +10:00) +86 10 62799911
India (Monday - Friday, 9:00 to 17:30 GMT +05:30) 91 124 4147700
Japan (Monday - Friday, 8:30 to 19:00 GMT +10:00) 0120 347737
Korea (Monday - Friday, 8:30 to 19:00 GMT +10:00) 1566 0990
Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, 603 7628 3333
Thailand and all other Asia/Pacific countries (Monday - Friday, 8:00 to 20:00 GMT +08:00)
Europe, Middle East, Africa:
Europe 31 320 239 540
Middle East (Sunday to Thursday) 31 320 239 530
North Africa (Sunday to Thursday) 31 320 239 530
Sub-Sahara Africa 31 320 239 593

18
 LEED AP® BD+C Candidate Handbook

Green Business Certification Inc.

2101 L Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20037 | gbci.org

USGBC’s website is available 24 hours per day for exam application and registration, information
regarding the LEED professional exams and access to your account.

Call Center: 1-800-795-1746 (within the US) or +1-202-742-3792 (outside the US)

GBCI’s call center is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:30 ET for questions regarding
exam registration, USGBC or CaGBC member pricing, your Credentials account, the LEED
Professional Directory and the LEED professional exams.

Exam Department: http://www.usgbc.org/help-topic/leed-ap-with-specialty

GBCI staff are available for questions, comments and concerns regarding certificates, LEED
professional exam records, USGBC or CaGBC member pricing refunds, exam content appeals,
exam development, exam scoring, exam format and all other LEED professional exam policies and
procedures.

19